In a typical motor vehicle, the vehicle's engine, such as an internal combustion engine, is typically rotated via a starter to cause the engine to begin powering itself. A typical starter includes a pinion gear that is driven by an electric motor, and is pushed out for engagement with a ring gear that is attached to the engine's flywheel or flex-plate, in order to start the engine.
In some applications, a pre-spun starter is employed for such a function. A pre-spun starter is a type of a starter in which rotation of the pinion gear is controlled separately from its engagement with the engine ring gear. Such a starter may be employed in a conventional vehicle having a single powerplant, or in a hybrid vehicle application, that includes both an internal combustion engine and a motor/generator for powering the vehicle.